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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27680822">Hatchling</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShatteredSwallowtail/pseuds/ShatteredSwallowtail'>ShatteredSwallowtail</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Taming Dragons [21]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XIV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:00:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,885</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27680822</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShatteredSwallowtail/pseuds/ShatteredSwallowtail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aymeric de Borel/Estinien Wyrmblood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Taming Dragons [21]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1733218</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hatchling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Spending his days in Estinien’s arms was without question one of Aymeric’s favourite ways to pass the time. This one was no different in that respect, though it was seldom in Estinien’s small camp near Bregne in which they spent such days. Those were usually reserved for the times when his roving husband returned home to Ishgard and Aymeric was ‘convinced’ to take a day off of work where neither of them left their bed until hunger or other bodily needs drove them from each others’ warmth. The camp by the waterfall lacked most of the comforts of home, but all of that paled when compared to the simple pleasure of the dragoon wrapped around him. Long fingers kneading sore muscles as he nipped at the back of Aymeric’s neck.</p><p>Despite his apology for the deception caused by his ‘dragoon’ armour, Estinien’s ire had only been cooled upon insisting that if Aymeric intended to play at being a dragoon then he could train like one. And while at first he had balked at the suggestion, the look in his husband’s red eyes had been cause to bite back protests and simply agree. It had been a grueling 7 solid hours of training, with no break, and he’d silently offered a praise to Halone when his husband had decided it was enough and ended the training session for a quick dip in the pool at the base of the waterfall. The cool water had felt amazing on his sore and stiff muscles, and it had been a supreme effort not to drown himself by relaxing completely into the pool. Soaked and cleaned of the grime from training, he’d commented wryly about never underestimating how grueling a dragoon’s training was...only to have Estinien fix him with a wicked smirk and a purr about how that was only part of it if he expected to gain the same endurance that came with being a dragoon.</p><p>Dragoons, he had learned - even more than what he already had experience with - were possessed of nigh inhuman levels of stamina. A fact that his devilishly devious husband was extremely keen on demonstrating. Over and over again. Much to Aymeric’s combined chagrin and delight.</p><p>His internal musings were broken by another slow, deliberate roll of hips from the dragoon spooned behind him, nudging the hard length of Estinien’s cock deeper into him with another languid thrust. <b><i>Worn out already? I thought you wanted to be a dragoon, Bluebird?</i></b>. The purring growl of draconic into his mind was punctuated by another deeper thrust that drew a gasping whimper from his throat, Estinien’s teeth grazing the skin at his nape. “F...four times….already….mercy… Estinien….” He managed to gasp as fingers kneaded his hips and the dragoon chuckled. “Say please, Lord Commander….”</p><p>The desired response came in another gasping moan and Estinien chuckled softly as he bit down on Aymeric’s nape again. Rolling the shorter man onto his stomach as he braced his elbows against the pallet and began to thrust hard and fast. Despite the way he’d been playing with Aymeric for the last two hours or so, he’d been holding himself back far more than he’d let on and it was something of a relief to let go of that control. Growling against skin as he slipped a hand around beneath Aymeric to wrap fingers tight around his husband’s cock and pump in time with his thrusts. It was a matter of moments before he felt that lithe body stiffen in release and he allowed himself to totally let go. Slamming hips against Aymeric’s with a whine as he chased his own climax and followed with a few more hard thrusts.</p><p>Aymeric’s vision blurred as he gasped and shuddered beneath Estinien, the aftershocks still coursing through him as he dimly felt Estinien shift to his side again and wrap arms around him. Even going so far as to allow his wings to manifest as he wrapped one over them like a blanket while he nuzzled dark hair.</p><p>
  <b>
    <i>Before you ask….yes, you’re forgiven. But no more secrets, Aymeric… I mean it.</i>
  </b>
</p><p>That was quite a fair demand, and Aymeric let out a contented sigh as he nodded and snuggled back against his husband. “You have my word, beloved…” His reply seemed to satisfy the dragoon, as he felt Estinien nod against his hair before those arms tightened around him and he felt white hair spill over his shoulder as his husband nuzzled into his neck again. It was impossible not to grasp a stray lock of the silky stuff, running it through his fingers and curling it around them with a gentle tug. “I’m surprised you’ve let it get so much longer. I recall quite a number of instances where you bemoaned the difficulty in managing it. Though that was also when you wore a helm much more frequently.”</p><p>“You like it longer.”</p><p>The gruff reply was muffled by his own dark curls and Aymeric couldn’t help the smile as he gave another gentle tug to the lock of thick white hair he had twined around his finger. Estinien was correct, he’d always found the dragoon’s hair to be lovely and captivating, and it was almost embarrassing how much he enjoyed running his fingers idly through it. Obviously that fact had not escaped his husband’s notice and he shifted just enough to nuzzle against the side of Estinien’s face. “I do, that is true. But I would not wish you to inconvenience yourself for my sake, my own.”</p><p>Estinien was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, almost reluctantly as he mumbled the words into Aymeric’s hair. “....Yasha has decided that she enjoys...playing with it.” Ahh, that made a good deal of sense, especially considering the number of times he’d taken silent notice of Estinien’s white hair tied up into a rather messy braid or ponytail as of late. He’d assumed it was merely the dragoon attempting to keep it out of his face, but the notion of his husband sitting still and quiet for the little girl to play with his hair was a sight he’d pay to see. With a nod, he wisely chose to keep that thought to himself as he smiled. “I see. I’m sure she finds great enjoyment in that. As well as her training with you.”</p><p>That was an understatement; Yasha chattered of nothing else when she was in Ishgard with him. It was obvious how much the girl adored Estinien. Which brought his thoughts back to a more somber subject as he shifted in the dragoon’s arms to rest his head on Estinien’s shoulder. “In truth...there is a matter I wished to discuss with you. It concerns Yasha.” He was well-versed in Estinien-speak, enough to register the slight nod and continued silence as a ‘continue’ from his husband, and did just that with a nod of his own.</p><p>“Just the other day, I found her in her room...packing away small things into a satchel. When I asked what she was doing...she spoke of ‘having to leave soon’. Because, in her words she ‘has to go away when something bad happens’. I can only assume she means my injury, and I... “</p><p>Estinien closed his eyes with an inward sigh; he’d seen this coming. And he already knew what the answer was going to be. It was obvious enough to him from the tone in his husband’s voice - despite how well Aymeric was attempting to mask it from him - how his knight felt about the notion of their current arrangement coming to an end. Yet even beyond such things...he himself was loath to see Yasha leave their home. The realization had been slow in coming, and even slower for him to come to accept his <i>own</i> attachment to the child he’d reluctantly began caring for. But if he were honest with himself, every time he watched her race over to Aymeric, watched his husband scoop her up with a laugh and a smile...there was an undeniable sense of <i>rightness</i>. Making it even more difficult to deny that the orphaned Xaela child had wormed her way into his heart in spite of his own intentions.</p><p>“I assume you reassured her that such a notion is ridiculous.”</p><p>Aymeric’s head shot up from it’s comfortable position pillowed against Estinien’s shoulder as blue eyes searched red with a mix of shock and confusion. “I.... Are you suggesting?...”</p><p>An inward groan very nearly made it’s way from his throat as Estinien sighed and shook overlong bangs from his eyes. “Unless I am mistaken, at present there is nowhere else for her to go. Not to mention that it makes little sense for her to be elsewhere as it would complicate my training and teaching her.” That was a suitable explanation...wasn’t it? And one that would greatly salvage his dignity.</p><p>Only… he watched one elegant black brow arch up in a mix of suspicion and doubt from Aymeric and the inward sigh managed to find escape as he buried his face in dark curls again. “Must I voice it, Aymeric? Surely you know me well enough to know my mind on this…”</p><p>In truth, he <i>had</i> thought he’d known it...but what he’d taken as Halone’s own truth when it came to Estinien’s opinion on Yasha seemed to have been completely wrong. Pulling back slightly, Aymeric reached to cup his husband’s jaw. Stroking thumb against the faint stubble that never showed against pale skin as he tilted his head slightly to one side. “I felt certain I did, and yet… I had not thought us to be of <i>similar</i> minds in this. It would not be a decision to be made lightly...or if we were not of like mind…”</p><p>“Fury’s tits, Aymeric...Do you want to keep her or don’t you?” He snapped, patience beginning to wane. This sort of emotional situation was far from his forte, not to mention he was still coming to terms with his own attachment to the child. And thank the twelve that his husband seemed to realize that thread of tolerance was fraying as he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Estinien’s lips. “Peace, beloved... I only desire to be certain that you meant it. And yes.. I would love nothing more than to make her ours… to have her be a part of our family… be… our daughter.”</p><p>That phrase; ‘our daughter’... twisted something in his chest, and Estinien swallowed down an unexpected lump in his throat. Never once in his life had he ever entertained the thought of being a parent… being a <i>father</i>. His own had been lost to him, and Adelbert had tried...yet never truly succeeded. Hampered by the guilt he felt over Ferndale. What sort of example did he have to go on? Even now he still felt as though he were floundering most of the time. And yet… it was impossible to ignore the way it felt when that little girl wrapped her arms around his leg and called him ‘papa’. Or to discount the way seeing her curled up on Aymeric’s lap while his husband dutifully read the same picture book three times in a row always made him smile. Regardless of his mood.</p><p>“It has to be her decision.”</p><p>The words came unbidden to him, and as he continued to speak his resolve only strengthened. “Think about it. Her entire life has been spent passed from caretaker to caretaker. I doubt anyone has ever even bothered to ask <i>Yasha</i> what she wanted. Or even care, for that matter. I won’t do the same to her.”</p><p>Estinien had been silent for so long that Aymeric had begun to wonder if his honesty had been a mistake. Fury knew he adored that little girl, had already spent countless times reminding himself that she <i>wasn’t</i> theirs. That no matter how perfectly she fit into their world, they were merely caring for her temporarily. That he would one day have to content himself with only memories of her small voice chirping ‘papa, story’ every night before bedtime. Yet when his husband finally <i>did</i> speak, it was not at all what he’d expected and Aymeric had to take a moment to be sure he had heard correctly before he allowed a gentle smile to spread across his face. Of course that would be what Estinien would want, and he softly brushed his thumb against the scales that ran up the side of his dragoon’s neck with a nod. “Of course, my love. I would wish it no other way.”</p><p>At Aymeric’s agreement, it felt as though a physical rope snapped through him and he sagged back against his husband and closed his eyes. “Then...shall we dress and collect her?” He left it unsaid that if they were going to do this thing...they needed to do it now before his nerve failed him. And bless the twelve, but his sainted husband seemed to understand without any further explanation as he smiled and nodded. Stealing a lingering kiss before reluctantly separating to gather his clothing and dress himself.</p><p>It was tempting - to some portion of his mind at least - to dress as slowly as possible and thereby delay things. The greater portion seemed to feel strongly towards ‘get this over with’ and so he forewent even his armour. Dressing in the padded underlayers and lacing up boots before reaching to twine fingers through Aymeric’s in a squeeze before following him back towards Bregne. Yasha was where he’d expected her to be; playing with a handful of dragonets and two of the dragoons. That drew a snicker from him, as he knew perfectly well that a half dozen of them at least regularly competed for the chance to babysit their ‘mascot’. These two had won at cards last night, and had been quite happy to gloat to their confederates. A fact that made Estinien shoot them both a smug smirk as the little girl immediately lost interest in both of them to fling herself at his leg with a delighted squeal of ‘papa’ before giving Aymeric the same greeting. <i>I’m still her favourite dragoon, no matter who wins at cards.</i> That small snide voice in his head whispered as he ignored it and watched his husband scoop the child up to receive a slightly sticky kiss to his cheek and inquire as to her afternoon.</p><p>As Yasha chattered about games and dragons and the like, he remained silent as Aymeric shot him a pointed glance over the top of Yasha’s small horned head. A subtle nod and his husband swallowed before clearing his throat to gain the child’s attention. “Yasha? Estinien and I would like to ask you something….is that alright?”</p><p>Estinien held his breath as she seemed to consider the words before nodding with a smile. This was the moment of truth...and it was almost as terrifying as facing Nidhogg and that seemed ridiculous. Even though he couldn’t deny the truth in it, anymore than he could deny that he’d never seen Aymeric look quite so nervous as he did right in this moment. Struggling to find the words, and Fury take him if he didn’t just <i>get it over with</i>...</p><p>“Yasha..would you like to live with us? Not just for a little while...but for always?”</p><p>For a moment the dragoon wasn’t sure if Yasha understood what she was being asked, as the girl was silent for a moment as though confused. Opening his mouth to clarify, he froze as her small voice spoke up in a shaky, insecure tone. “For...always? Can stay...with papa?” That same lump rose up in his throat and Estinien raised a shaking hand to gently pet her dark curls in what he fervently hoped was a comforting gesture. “If you want to. You can stay with us. Be our....daughter….”</p><p>It felt so foreign to say aloud, and he silently cursed the way that his voice shook. Even if it was faint enough that he doubted anyone but himself would have noticed. Certainly not Aymeric, with the way his husband was obviously holding his breath waiting for her response. And Yasha was too little to care about how piss-poor of a job he was doing at keeping up his usual stoic facade. Watching as her lower lip began to tremble, he had a moment of panic at what appeared to be a burgeoning tantrum before the child launched herself at his chest with a whimpered cry of ‘papa’. That...was a positive response, he assumed, catching her easily as he rolled his eyes at her outburst. The outward gesture doing nothing to interfere with the way he readily cradled her close and softly shushed her. It was bad enough that she was crying, he didn’t have to look up to know that Aymeric probably was too and Estinien sighed as he shifted Yasha to reach out and pull his husband into the three-way embrace that somehow...didn’t feel awkward at all. It felt...right. Like a missing piece falling into place and the corner of his mouth crooked up in spite of himself as he whispered softly to Aymeric in draconic.</p><p>
  <b>
    <i>Alright….she can sleep between us. Just for tonight.</i>
  </b>
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